How the Golden State Valkyries Won, Despite Losing in WNBA Playoffs

Through WNBA history, expansion teams take a few years to get adjusted to the league, but a new standard has been set. As the WNBA enters a new era of expansion, with six teams being added between 2025 and 2030, the Golden State Valkyries set the bar high for the next five to come.

The Valkyries were the first of the group of these expansion teams to be added, with their inaugural season in 2025, and they went on to put together a historic campaign.

The Valkyries became the first expansion team in WNBA history to make the playoffs in their inaugural season, as they finished with a 23-21 record to sneak in as the eighth seed.

Golden State’s 21 regular season wins were the most by a first-year expansion team, and they saw some great individual success as well. Despite being composed of a group of players that were forgotten about by their former teams, the Valkyries were able to put together an impressive roster.

Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton made her first career All-Star appearance this season, guard Veronica Burton won Most Improved Player of the Year, and head coach Natalie Nakase won Coach of the Year by a landslide. Of course, as a team, the Valkyries were incredible, but it was because they were able to put all the right pieces together, like giving Burton a chance to shine.

On top of their team’s success, incredible fan support poured in throughout the 2025 season. The Valkyries led the WNBA in average home attendance, selling out every game in Chase Center.

The Valkyries had all the pieces of a successful team, and there are plenty of positives to take away from their inaugural campaign, despite losing in the first round of the playoffs.

After earning the eighth seed in the playoffs, the Valkyries had a tough draw against the first-seeded Minnesota Lynx, who were coming off a historic regular season themselves.

In their first home playoff game in franchise history, although they had to play in SAP Center rather than Chase Center due to scheduling conflicts, they proved that they belonged on that stage. The Valkyries stormed out to a 17-point lead over the Lynx, putting on a show in front of their home fans.

While the Lynx came back to win that game and eliminate the Valkyries, it showed that the 2025 season was not a fluke for Golden State and that they were right where they belonged. The future will be very intriguing for this franchise, and despite a first-round playoff exit, they have much to look forward to.